


Down To Midgard

by writingramblr



Series: Thor AU series [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Basically Thor with Loki instead., Canon Divergence then return, Eventually Lokane, F/M, From a Tumblr prompt (sort of), Loki falls to Midgard, Thor AU, Thor is a bit darker and not quite the golden prince
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-03
Updated: 2013-06-19
Packaged: 2017-12-13 21:05:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 16,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/828887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingramblr/pseuds/writingramblr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor Movie AU. Loki is cast out of Asgard for deceiving everyone and being responsible for the chaos that happens on Jotunhiem. This results in him meeting Jane, Erik and Darcy. His magic is taken from him before leaving Asgard, and is embedded into his golden three pronged spear, which may or may not follow him down to earth. He feels betrayed by his family after finding out the truth of his heritage, and is reluctant to become friends with the Midgardians who find him. He finds himself drawn to Jane Foster, who is the first one to show him kindness, unconditionally.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Ceremony

**Author's Note:**

> So this was mostly inspired by a post on tumblr (what are the odds?) A stunning gifset which will be linked at the end of the chapter for those interested. It's also sort of inspired by StarHawk2005's amazing Lokane stories, which I know this is only a shadow of, and still a bit different from.  
> Thanks for reading and I hope you like it.

As Thor made his way down the center of the hall, waving to the crowd and egging them on with shouts and a few swings of his hammer.

Eventually he finally reached the floor beneath the golden throne where the All Father Odin sat, and where Loki stood, restraining himself. He had first smiled as Thor entered the hall, then his expression had rapidly become more strained. He knew as the youngest sibling he could not be eligible for the throne, but that didn't stop the painful jolts of jealousy that shot through him as the crowd roared. Thor took off his helmet and knelt before the king.

Odin spoke to him and by definition the hall, elaborating about Mjölnir, and how it was a tool to build, or a weapon to destroy.

"A fit companion for a king." Odin finished. 

Before he could open his mouth to speak further, he stopped, and glanced upwards and to the left. Through the walls, that direction led towards the treasure room.

"Intruders." Odin hissed.

Thor leapt to his feet and Loki swiftly moved to follow his brother and father. His green cape swirled about his black leather boot clad feet as he came up short, stopping in the doorway to the treasure room. There were several dead bodies scattered on the floor, and even a few piles of ash. The Destroyer, a large metal robot guard had indeed done its job. 

"Frost Giants." Odin muttered quietly.

Thor frowned angrily,

"How could they dare? Why? Don't they understand this is an act of war?"

Odin shook his head,

"This was an act of a few, and they paid for it with their lives."

Thor sighed in exasperation,

"You can't mean to say you'll let Laufey get away with this treachery?"

Odin met his angry haze,

"Thor what would you have me do?"

Through this all, Loki remained quiet. Not wishing to draw attention to the fact that the intruders had defeated the kings own highly skilled trained guards.

"Go to Jotunhiem, take a small number of soldiers, teach Laufey a lesson. Of what happens when you betray our trust. Break their spirits. Give him a taste of Asgardian justice."

Thor was panting heavily, war and the lust for a fight clouding his judgment.

Odin turned to him and snapped,

"Justice? No. Vengeance for an act by a few fools. You're thinking like a warrior, not like a king. A wise ruler never seeks out war. Have you learned nothing?"

"Look how far they got! If we allow this to go unpunished, they could try again and succeed in taking one of these treasures." Thor gestured around, eyes alit with fury.

Loki still remained silent.

Odin shook his head sadly,

"I thought I raised you better. Go. Leave my sight. You're not ready to be king. Not today."

***

Loki had seen with his magic and the hindsight into the future he held that Thor had planned this. He knew it would be a rock solid excuse to attack Jotunhiem, something Thor had been itching for since childhood tales of the Frost Giants had inspired him to become the warrior he was.

Being loyal and true to his brother, he had not exposed his deception, hoping Thor would come clean to their father. But he had not. Loki was stunned. The first test of his ability to rule wisely and he failed before even beginning.

Loki had reluctantly agreed to dim the sight of the great Heimdalls watch, at Thor’s request, unsure why. Now he knew. Thor must have allowed the giants in, hoping to spark a fight and prove his kingship worthy.  
***  
In the now abandoned dining hall, Thor vented his frustration on a table laden with food and drink. It upended with a crash, and Loki collapsed off to the side, his head falling into his hands, fingers pinching his temples. This day had not gone at all like he had hoped.  
“What’s this?” Volstagg’s booming voice called out. Thor turned to see his friends, Sif and the members of the Warrior’s Three emerged into the hall.  
Loki chuckled darkly to himself. Of course Volstagg would be concerned about food wasted.  
Sif flew to Thor’s side, showing the pathetic vulnerable maiden still inside, even hidden underneath armor and a fierce expression.  
“Is everything alright?” her dark hair fell in waves across her back, even in the long ponytail it was restrained by.  
Loki smirked at the memory of how he had turned it from shimmering golden locks into the dark raven shade it was now.  
Thor growled in anger,  
“No. It’s not. Father is refusing to let me go to Jotunhiem and seek justice for their slight.”  
Frandral shook his head,  
“It’s not like a trip to Earth where you can summon a little thunder and lightning and the mortals worship you as gods, this is Jotunheim we’re talking about.”  
Loki stood, walking to Thor’s side, veiling his voice with a persuasive air,  
“Thor, think about this. It’s madness. Father knows how dangerous this could be. He’s warned against it.”  
Thor looked up, determined,  
“I don’t care. We cannot allow this act to go unpunished. Friends, we’re going to Jotunheim.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://vannehiddlebatched.tumblr.com/post/35236204320/au-loki-is-banished-to-earth-instead-of-thor
> 
> You will notice I made Loki less of a little Bitch and more of a woobie. Forgive me. But i just....feels made me do it.


	2. Jotunhiem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to gosh i spelled everything right. All those Jotunhiems and Laufeys and etc.... if not, please don't be too angry with me. Also, i did skip a lot of the fighting, cause I just don't feel i have the ability to write it well.

The chill of the air was biting, even through the thick leather and armor the group wore. Thor suddenly looked much less sure of himself, and even let Loki take the lead.  
“It’s not too late to go back.” Fandral offered helpfully, but Loki grimaced, and urged Thor forward,  
“To retreat would be cowardly. We must press on brother.”  
Thor felt uncertain, but could not find his voice.  
Eventually he grunted, and began striding forward again,  
“Let’s get this over with.”

***

 

"Leave now, while I still allow it."

Thor ducked his head, respectfully lowering his eyes,

"We will accept your most gracious offer."

Loki sneered, glancing around the ice courtyard, mentally counting up the number of Frost Giants hiding, or at least attempting to hide in the shadows or behind glacier sized walls.

As the brothers turned away, with Sif and Fandral leading the group, Thor heard one of the Jotun king Laufey's guards mutter,

"Run along home princess, play with your ponies."

Thor groaned aloud and turned to grip Loki's arm, whispering urgently,

"Loki, no." 

But his dark haired brother was already turning, a snarl on his face,

"What did you say to me?" Loki hissed angrily, and his sword appeared in his hand with a flick of his wrist.

He shrugged off Thor's grasp and turned to throw the blade swiftly and the King gasped as his guard collapsed to his knees, blood splattering the pure white snow.

"Attack formations!" Thor called reluctantly as Loki became surrounded by soldiers, holding his own, using illusions and trickery to outwit most soldiers, and his excellent combat skills to fell the rest.

In the midst of a sword fight, the frost giant that Loki was battling managed to grip his arm, and he gasped in pain before the message reached his brain, having recalled Volstaggs warning before coming to Jotunhiem, that the giants could freeze you where you stood. However, the pain never came. Instead, from where the giant held him, the skin began to transform, turning the same dark shade of blue as the giant’s own skin.  
Without a thought, Loki used the momentary distraction to stab the giant. As soon as the foe had loosened his grip, Loki’s skin began turning back.  
“What sorcery is this?” he muttered to himself.

***

After a lengthy battle, during which Fandral became mortally wounded, Thor called out to his brother,

"Loki, we Must Go!"

Loki's handsome face was twisted with mirth as he stood in the center of a growing pile of frost giant bodies, still holding off a decent number of them, but as he saw the destruction the fight had wrought on their group, he nodded quickly, and with a final thrust of his blade into a Jotuns stomach, moved to join Thor.

The king sat leisurely on his throne, and with a series of taps to a lever beside his throne, the door to a cage containing a horrific beast began to slide open.

Fandral, from laying over Volstaggs shoulder could see the beast beginning to pursue them. If his face had not been already pale from loss of blood, he would have gone stark white.

"We need to go faster!" He yelled to Thor, who turned to see the frightening sight behind them.

"Hurry!" he roared in response.

***

“Get him to the healing room, NOW!”  
Odin roared to Volstagg, who still clutched an injured Fandral, and he ran quickly out of the transport chamber, not eager to face his king’s wrath ever again.

 

Odin pointed towards Loki and Thor,  
“Not you.”  
The quiet fury in his voice made Thor visibly shrink, whilst Loki felt emboldened.  
“Father, I could have done it. I was so close!”  
Odin growled at him, and he fell into silence.  
“Your older brother had to come to your rescue, again. Then I had to intervene, lest war break out because of a foolish boy’s actions.”  
He turned to Thor,  
“What made you think disobeying me would make me think you worthy to be king?”  
Thor shrugged,  
“I only wanted to—well. Loki encouraged it. I couldn’t argue.”  
Odin frowned, and looked at Loki, who did his best to avoid his fathers gaze.  
“Am I to believe you used magic to encourage your brother to follow his bloodlust?”  
Loki smiled tightly,  
“It took barely any, for when we arrived in Jotunhiem, the eager lion turned into a meek pussycat. I had to lead the charge.”  
Thor groaned in frustration, turning back to Odin,  
“Father, please-“  
Odin roared at him to be quiet, before shaking his head and climbing to the top of the chamber, where the enchanted sword still lay in its sheath.  
He pushed it in all the way, and lightening crackled around the room.  
“Loki, my youngest. I feared this day would come since the moment you arrived in Asgard. The reason you feel such animosity towards the Frost Giants along with your brother, is for more reason than you think. The truth is, you are not of Asgard.”  
Loki’s face fell, and all signs of mirth and arrogance melted away.  
“What?”  
“After the war, among the wreckage of the palace, I found a child. Small for a giants offspring. I brought you here, to raise you as my own. To hope that you might be a way to unite our kingdoms. It seems as though my plan has failed.”  
Loki couldn’t believe what he was hearing. During the battle on Jotunhiem, when the frost giant had touched him, and his arm had changed instead of burning he wondered if they had found a new way to fight, but now the truth was clear. He was one of them.  
He was the very monster he had been raised to fear.  
“So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use for me?”  
A single tear, whether from sadness, anger or utter despair fell from his eye, and Odin for once could not meet his gaze.  
“How could you let this happen? Why did you not tell me sooner?” Loki yelled, and moved towards his father, but Thor rushed to hold him back.  
“No Loki! Father, you must do something. Protect him from himself. For all of us.”  
Odin nodded sadly, and raised his hand towards his youngest, now revealed not to be of his blood at all,  
“Loki, through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful realms to the horror and desolation of WAR. You are unworthy of your title, you are unworthy of your magic, and you are unworthy of the loved ones you have betrayed. I take from you, your power, and I your father, CAST YOU OUT!”  
Loki could feel the magic leeched from his very soul, and as his still bloody spear was wrenched from his hand, he could barely see the room through his tear blurred vision. The golden blob to his left, his older brother, NO, adopted brother Thor was making no move to help him, nor come to his defense.  
“Why? You know I am a more worthy and the rightful king. You’ll see.” He felt himself being thrown backwards, and had no power to stop it. The roar of cosmic wind at his back and the blurry sight of the rainbow bridge in the distance let him know he was leaving Asgard. Where he was to be banished, he had no idea.


	3. Midgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki meets our main characters (on Earth) and tries his first american breakfast staple. Nope, not poptarts.

“Whosoever wields this spear, if he be worthy, selfless, and noble, shall possess the power of Loki, and command the magic it contains.”  
Odin threw the spear into the portal just before it closed, and turned away, ripping the heavy sword from its sheath, tossing it to Heimdall, who had returned from escorting Sif and the Warriors three to the healing room.  
“Fandral the Dashing will live, my king.”  
The Watchers deep voice echoed about the chamber, and Odin nodded gratefully for his report.  
“Thank you Heimdall. Come Thor, we must go inform your mother what has transpired. You may tell her exactly where you were and why. Also inform her that her youngest son will be gone for . . . a while.”  
***  
Jane Foster was staring out into the night sky, hoping, praying, and wishing for something. A crack of thunder sounded nearby, but no lightening appeared. Instead, a strange aurora colored haze began seeping out of the dark clouds, twisting and turning into a rainbow of a funnel.  
Jane smacked her fellow astrophysicist Doctor Erik Selvig on the arm,  
“Look! Go! Go!”  
Erik gasped in shock,  
“I thought you said it was a subtle aurora!” he yelled as he pushed hard on the gas, and the van they were in began speeding off, towards the forming funnel. Jane pulled out her camera and began shooting rapidly. Darcy Lewis, Jane’s young assistant started to mention perhaps they shouldn’t heading towards the swirling vortex, but rather the other direction, and Erik began to turn the wheel, but Jane reached over to stop him,  
“Wait!”  
The cloud funnel grew blindingly bright, and then in an instant, had faded and the storm calmed.  
Whilst driving closer, without warning, a loud thump sounded, and Erik swerved the van. Jane managed to retain a hold on her camera, which now had extremely valuable footage of the storm on it.  
“Oh my god! Did we hit a deer?” Darcy asked frantically, and Jane yelled to stop the van.  
They piled outside quickly, and Jane walked around the van to investigate.  
A man with messy dark hair was slowly getting up from the ground, his hand falling to grip his lower back, and before her eyes, his knees gave out and he collapsed to the ground.  
Darcy called out to Jane,  
“Any chance he needs CPR? Cause I totally know CPR.”  
Jane gasped and hurried over to fall at the man’s side.  
“Do me a favor and don’t be dead.”  
The man groaned, his voice deep and gravely as he spoke,  
“Oh no. This is Midgard isn’t it?”  
Erik had joined Jane’s side and Darcy was close behind with a flashlight and her ever present tazer.  
“What did he say?” Erik muttered, and Jane merely shrugged, turning back to the stranger,  
“Please, open your eyes.”  
The man did so, stunning her with the intensity of his emerald green eyes as he shook her hand away. Unconsciously she’d placed a hand on his shoulder, and at his movement, she fell back.  
“I don’t need your help, mortals.”  
Darcy tensed up, and moved closer, shining the light in his eyes,  
“Don’t move. Don’t make me taze you.”

Loki chuckled darkly, (for indeed it was he) as he turned to face the long brown haired girl,  
“You dare threaten me? I am a God you foolish girl.”  
Darcy’s eyes widened and she lowered the light,  
“Do all guys really think they’re god’s gift to us? Jeezus.”  
Jane was still staring at Loki, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, as she turned to Erik,  
“Where did he come from?”  
Erik shrugged and then glanced down,  
“Jane look at this!”  
The ground was covered in a strange pattern, Loki knew it was the Bifrost signature seal, but the mortals seemed fascinated. He hoped to get away, but the one girl with the fireless torch and a fore-threatened weapon was watching his every move.  
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with, I’d advise you to be careful. I am Loki, of Asgard, brother of Thor, who I'd wager your ancestors taught you was the God of thunder.”  
Loki spoke to the girl, wincing only slightly as he remembered just how his brother had betrayed him, and when he raised his hands, she tensed, and without warning, fire coursed through his body, and he collapsed to the ground again, this time, his eyes fell shut and all faded to black.  
***  
“Darcy!” Jane shrieked in astonishment, and the girl in question threw her hands up high,  
“What?! He was freaking me out!”  
Erik sighed,  
“Next time, wait until he’s in the car before you taze him.”  
“Sorry.” Came Darcy’s meek reply.  
Jane couldn’t stop staring at him as they drove back to the lab. In sleep the man looked so calm, and peaceful. He had seemed so agitated, and even hurt, refusing her help even after it was clear he was not at full strength. She wondered how he’d gotten out in the middle of nowhere. She hoped he wouldn’t be as mad when he woke up this time.  
“Can we stop for pancakes on the way home? I’m starving.” Darcy whined, and Jane smiled, realizing her stomach was grumbling too.  
“Sounds like a plan. Turn here Erik. That drive through is still open past midnight.”  
***  
Eventually Darcy’s whining and pleading got the best of Jane, and reluctantly she agreed to let them eat in.  
“Drive thru’s are annoying. I hate eating food over my lap. Give me a table and chair any day.”  
The jolt of the van parking was enough to bring Loki back into consciousness.  
Darcy heard him stirring in the back and glanced around, smiling wryly at him,  
“Welcome back to the land of the living mister. I hope you’re hungry for some pancakes.”  
Loki furrowed his brow, and reached out his arms as far as he could to stretch, abruptly bumping the back seat with his long legs.  
Jane felt the jolt and started. She had been dozing off after telling Darcy they would stop.  
“Oh. Oh hello again. I’m sorry about Darcy. She tends to taze first and ask questions later. Are you alright? Come with us and I’ll make sure you get some food. I don’t know how far you’ve come, but I bet you’re just as hungry as we are.”  
Loki was not exactly sure what the two mortal women were speaking about, but if it was food, he wasn’t going to fight them.  
He waited in the back until Jane, the smaller of the two women opened the door for him, and he stepped down, wincing as he started moving. Perhaps he had landed wrong on his left foot, for it felt like he was walking on sharp spears with each step.  
Jane was immediately at his side, ignoring Erik’s cautious look.  
“Here, let me help you.”  
Loki would have laughed if he didn’t feel so exhausted. The small mortal thought she would aid him? He was practically a god. He would have been a god in her ancestor’s eyes.  
“Thank you, but I’m in no need of assistance.”  
Jane eyed him and then shrugged,  
“Okay. Fine. You want to be stubborn, go for it. We’re still taking you to the hospital after we eat, just in case.”  
Erik exchanged a worried glance with Darcy. He didn’t think it would be the best idea to take this stranger there. He had no ID, seemingly no memory, and was calling himself “Loki.”  
He was also rather overdressed for the desert.  
Though Loki’s armor had been taken from him along with his magic and spear, he was still clad in a dark green long sleeved shirt which fell below his waist, and he wore black trousers, with plain black leather boots.  
He projected a regal air, and even in disarray, commanded attention.  
At least, that was what Jane used as her excuse to barely take her eyes off of him. Darcy wasn’t so impressed. She preferred her mysterious dark haired strangers to stay in the pages of her romance novels. She still wasn’t quite trusting of this guy.  
They got a booth, and Jane sat strategically across from Loki, who sat reluctantly beside Erik. Even across the table, and next to Erik, Loki seemed to tower above them all. Darcy slid in beside Jane, and eagerly picked up a menu, browsing quickly, before declaring,  
“The stuffed French toast sounds good. I changed my mind about those pancakes. Unless they can make ‘em with chocolate chips.”  
Jane laughed and shook her head,  
“I think it’s a little early for chocolate, don’t you?”  
Darcy scoffed,  
“Nah. It’s never too early for chocolate. Don’t you think?”  
She pointedly looked over at Loki, who had not been intently listening, and looked rather confused.  
“I’m sorry?”  
Jane smiled sympathetically,  
“Why don’t we just let him pick something out? We all need some food and coffee for energy. I’ve not pulled an all nighter since college.”  
Erik nodded in agreement, and for him, college had been much further back in time.


	4. Who are You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diverging slightly from canon AU, there are no hospital shenanigans.

After a large breakfast of pancakes and waffles, during which Loki regained some color in his cheeks and managed to look less like a human skeleton, the whole group headed back to Jane and Erik’s lab/office. Jane had observed Loki during their breakfast stop and decided not to take Loki to the hospital. He seemed to be fine, other than his strained ankle. Besides, with a man with no I.D. and no money to spare, Jane was not keen on giving up her most valuable piece of research.  
It was on the edge of town and the bottom floor walls were made completely of glass. Loki found himself wandering around the room observing the buildings, hardly noticing the ache in his foot and when he ended up back in front of Jane’s desk, Darcy couldn’t hold back a giggle.  
“This room is a circle you know. Pacing around it won’t get you anywhere.”  
Loki frowned at her, but couldn’t hold the fierce expression, she was confoundingly beautiful. Not as delicate as Jane’s beauty, but certainly enchanting.  
“I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. Is there any way I can help?”  
Erik glanced up from where he was studying the photographs Jane had managed to take of the cloud and strange aurora.   
“You can tell me how you got where you did, and where you came from.”  
Loki looked over at the man sharply,  
“I’ve already told you. I am Loki, of Asgard. I was cast out by the Allfather.” At this, he glowered at the floor. He hated having to remember that Odin was no longer to be thought of as his blood father.  
Jane raised her eyebrows at him,  
“’Loki?’ As in the Norse god of Mischief? Erik, you know more about those myths than me, can you explain to Darcy?”  
Loki turned to look at her, surprised to see not contempt on her face, but a strange sort of sadness. As if she understood his plight. He was a stranger in a strange land, and without his magic, he had no way to prove his assertions.  
Erik launched into a long winded explanation of the Norse mythology and Darcy had to fight from yawning. Loki listened intently, eager to hear what exactly Midgardians thought they knew.  
When he mentioned the Frost giants, and how they had supposedly tried to invade northern Midgard, Loki found himself clenching his fists to prevent breaking something within his reach. The nearest object was a computer monitor, which he knew they would not be happy if it was destroyed.  
After Erik had finished speaking, Loki rose from where he had been perched on top of the far edge of Jane’s desk, and gave a short round of applause.  
“Very good. Now tell me, what do you know about the Rainbow Bridge?”  
At this Erik looked stumped for a moment, before speaking,  
“That’s what the Asgardians used for travel between worlds.”  
Loki raised a hand, leaving his index finger in the air,  
“By Odin, you have gotten it. Now you know how I came here. Likely if you had the ability to translate the pattern on the dirt where you found me, it would tell you the exact coordinates of the spot and where I had come from.”

Jane’s eyes went wide,  
“You are telling the truth. I just looked that up. The same markings were found when the Frost giants came here, supposedly thousands of years ago, before being defeated by your, ‘All Father.’”  
Jane’s mind was rather boggled. That meant this man, Loki, was at least a thousand years old, and he sure didn’t show it.  
Loki tried not to growl out loud.   
“Thank you for your vote of confidence Mortal.”  
Jane looked taken aback, and Loki instantly regretted the utterance. The small mortal woman was not deserving of his contempt.   
But it was too late to take it back, as Erik stepped forward to look at the computer screen with her.  
“You’re absolutely right Jane. If we could translate that, if could help with your theory on the Einstein Rosenbridge.”  
Loki found himself restraining from the urge to roll his eyes. A nasty habit he still obtained from childhood.  
Darcy pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, from where they had slid down,  
“So tell me, if you’re Loki, does that mean Thor is real too? Cause he’s a real hunk. I wish I could meet him.”  
Loki gritted his teeth. Of course she would. All the ladies of the court in Asgard flocked to his golden haired brother. How he wished he could have gotten the chance to turn his crowning glory to pitch black as he had done to Lady Sif.  
“I’m sure he would enjoy the encounter as well. While it lasted.”  
He smirked at her, and he was rewarded by a faint blush rising on her cheeks, and she looked away from him.  
Jane and Erik seemed to have missed the exchange, so engrossed in the internet work they were doing. Loki took advantage of their distraction to take the stairs up to the second floor of the building. From there he could see the entire town. It was rather small and only spread out for twenty miles in every direction.  
They had all the basic needs of a town. A hospital, a grocery store next to a gas station, several mom and pop stores, a small motel, and of course the diner on the other side of town.


	5. Rooftop Musings

Loki turned his head; his ears had picked up the sound of soft footsteps behind him. He was in a tactically disadvantaged spot, sitting on the edge of the roof, his feet hanging off the end, swinging about like a child. He slid back and quickly stood, moving so the drop off was to his left side.  
“Hey. I thought you’d wandered off.”  
It was only the small mortal, whom the others called Jane. He was stunned she had come after him, considering the way he had treated her.  
His hands fell to his sides, and he relaxed.  
“Please forgive me for what I said. It was rude.”  
Jane shrugged,  
“It’s alright. In school I was called worse things than ‘Mortal.’ It’s not as if it’s not true. We’re all mortal.”  
Loki smiled gently,  
“Not everyone.”  
Jane nodded thoughtfully.  
“That’s right. I was going to ask you about that.”  
“In your myths, we are gods. In truth we are simply of the ability that we will not age after a certain point. Or rather, we age slowly. If you were to come to Asgard, a day there would be as many more of your days. When we die, if we are worthy, we will go to Valhalla. That’s one thing your legends got correct. You must die in battle or for an equally worthy goal.”  
Jane’s eyes widened as she gazed up at him,  
“Oh my. That’s very interesting. So how old are you?”  
Loki lowered his head, and even shuffled his feet on the gravel covering the roof top.  
“Of that, I am uncertain. It was recently revealed to me, before coming here to Midgard, that I was not who I had grown up thinking I was. I am adopted. I was cast out for what my brother and I did. I might have encouraged him too far, and then I got caught up in the slaughter.”  
Jane’s face drained of color, and she collapsed onto a chair. There was a couple up there for when Darcy got the notion to try and tan.  
“Slaughter?” she repeated with a whisper, and Loki nodded solemnly.  
“Yes. We had gone to Jotunheim. It is the world where the Frost Giants dwell. They are my true ancestors. It was that revelation that partly led to my outcast. My brother had a part in the deception, but he was surely not punished as harshly as I. for he is the only worthy son. He was destined to be king. My father,”  
An emotion not unlike pain flashed across his face, and Jane was suddenly filled with the urge to move closer to him, pull him into her arms and try to comfort him. Even though he had just been speaking of killing in such a dismissive way.  
Loki continued, unaware of Jane’s inner struggle,  
“Never looked at me, the entire time he was condemning me to come here. I had no idea of course where he was sending me. Now I know. It’s somewhere I could never have command of my power. He wants me to live out my days, of which there are now many, many more, here. Alone, powerless, and like a mortal.”  
At this Loki moved to fall into another seat beside Jane, and his still substantial strength turned the seat into scraps of wood as it broke beneath him.  
He hit the roof with a jolt, and the pain that stabbed up his back hurt less than reliving the hurt of his last moments on Asgard.  
He curled up into himself, and tried to keep his tears at bay, but it was no use.  
Jane watched, helpless as his large form began to shake with silent sobs.  
She finally decided to move, and fell to her knees beside him, doing exactly what she had been imagining for the last few moments.  
***  
Loki felt small hands on his shoulders, and a gentle embrace as Jane hugged him.  
Her hair fell forward to brush over his arms, and he smelled a faint hint of vanilla in it. It seemed to comfort him, and he felt himself relax again in her presence. She had a strange effect on him.  
She reminded him of Frigga. Quiet and yet when she spoke, it was with careful consideration and wise council.  
However, he never had the urge to hug his mother. She had been just as loving of him as Thor, but somehow he had always preferred the attention of his father. Now he wished he had appreciated her more, for who knew when he would see her again?  
Jane’s soft touch and sweet words of comfort eventually brought him back to the present. He had drifted off briefly while in her arms.  
He moved to stand, and she quickly let him go.  
He stood up and reached down to help her, she looked up at him, her brown eyes wide, still on her knees, and though she wore jeans, surely the gravel couldn’t be pleasant.  
She took his hand with only momentary hesitation, and her grip on his hand was warm and firm.  
He felt much steadier and ready to go back and face the man’s constant questions with patience.  
“Shall we?”  
Jane moved to gesture downstairs, but realized Loki was still holding her hand.  
He dropped it as if she had burned him, and looked away from her, out at the sky, now streaked with light blues and purples as the sun began to rise.  
“Yes, of course.”  
He was very grateful to whatever gods were listening above, that she had been the one to retrieve him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is obviously a scene of my own making, to help establish the characterization of my interpretation of Loki. Not completely a woobie, but a sympathetic character. It's his 'humanizing' moment if you will. And also, I could only guess about the mortality thing. No extensive research into the comics or the legends was done. So be kind please!  
> And thanks for reading.  
> This whole story was a joy to write.


	6. Up On Asgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick look at what's been going on in Asgard while Loki's been enjoying Midgardian customs.

Thor was laughing at a joke Fandral had just told when a loud thump sounded. The great wide doors of the dining hall had been thrown open, and Frigga stood there, her golden curls rather haphazard and as she impatiently brushed them back, Lady Sif nudged Thor in the ribs.  
“Your mother is here.” Sif whispered in his ear, and Thor groaned quietly. She had been in her room the last week, mourning the banishment of Loki.  
Now she looked worried, yet fierce.  
“Thor! Come with me this instant.”  
Her tone left no room for debate or argument.  
Thor rose quickly from the long table, waving to the Warriors three and patting Sif on the shoulder.  
He moved to walk with his mother, and she began striding away from him.  
“What’s the matter?” he asked urgently, and she raised a hand, wanting to wait until they were further away from the dining room for fear of being overheard. Why was anyone’s guess. Thor trusted his friends with his life. He had trusted them with his brother’s life as well. That had not turned out well.  
“Your father has fallen into the Odinsleep. I was just speaking to him and he did not reply. I looked over to see him on the ground. He is resting now and I fear he may never wake up. He’s put it off for so long.”  
Thor’s face fell. Odin was asleep? What if the Jotuns should retaliate?   
Asgard could fall.  
He could not let that happen.  
“What is to be done?”  
Frigga looked at him sternly,  
“You will have to be made king. At least for the time being.”  
Thor tried to hide his grin, by biting the inside of his cheek. He grimaced at the pain, and turned it into an expression of gratitude.  
“Thank you mother. I will do my best to make father proud.”  
Frigga bit her lip, and two tears fell onto her blue silk dress, and she pulled him in for a fierce embrace.  
“Be wise my son. I know you are not ready, but you must be. For us all.”  
Thor nodded against her shoulder, and held her tightly.


	7. The Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to IMDB i was able to find the name of the New Mexico town. i know they did build most of the actual town in the movie, just so they could blow it up of course, but I thought the name was pretty, so i kept it.  
> Enjoy!

***Back on Midgard***

Out in the desert plain several miles from the small town of Galisteo New Mexico, there was a crater. In the middle of the crater was Loki’s spear. It was buried halfway into the ground and when a local farmer drove by and saw it, he couldn’t resist checking it out.  
He parked his dusty red pickup, and made the trek down to the center of the crater. He circled the spear a couple times, muttering to himself,  
“What the hell?”  
Eventually he moved closer, and reached out to touch it. It felt warm to the touch, and looked as if it was made of solid gold.  
He took both hands and gripped it tightly, pulling with all his might.  
He wasn’t a weak man. He pulled and pushed plows and worked on a farm for most of his life. However he couldn’t even budge the spear.  
He stood back, brushed the sweat off of his forehead, and stared at the object, mystified.  
He decided to go spread the word and see if anyone else wanted to come try it.

***  
The next morning, Loki woke up on the futon couch in the office, and he realized though he had fallen asleep from pure exhaustion, he had not originally had any covers.  
He looked down and found himself covered with a red plaid blanket, and it was even tucked in around his feet, though they stuck off the end of the couch.  
He was a bit taller than the couch’s owner.  
He sat up and looked about, running a hand through his messy black hair. It had been at least two days since he had last bathed, and he was certain he looked like a man who had been at war.  
His stomach was growling as well.  
He moved to set his feet on the ground, which felt cool to the touch. He realized it was made of wood. Wood that had been polished until it gleamed like marble.   
The soft padding of footsteps, like a cats, “Or maybe a kittens,” Loki amended the statement, as he turned to see Jane trying to sneak past him to the small kitchen. She held a bundle of clothing in her arms.  
“Good morning.”  
Jane jumped slightly, and Loki again thought of a kitten. She smiled at him, looking embarrassed,  
“Oh. You startled me. Good morning to you as well. Would you like some coffee? I was thinking about making some.”  
Loki nodded,  
“Very kind of you.”  
“Also, I found these; I thought they might fit you. You’re almost the same size as my, ah, former colleague. These shoes may be more comfortable than those boots. They’re called sneakers, and they just slip on.”  
She moved over to set the clothing on the edge of the couch, carefully setting the pair of white sneakers, along with a clean pair of socks on the ground, and retreated back to the kitchen.  
Loki moved to pick up the clothes, which were slightly worn, but in good condition. The shirt was a light blue plaid, almost the same pattern as the blanket, and the pants were of a light blue color as well, and of a sturdy material.  
The shirt had something stuck to it, which read, “Donald Blake.”  
Loki cocked a black eyebrow in curiosity, but refrained from speaking. He pulled it off and crumpled it, tossing it to the side before scooping the clothes up and heading for the nearest washroom. It had a bathtub and shower inside, and the ceiling was barely high enough for him to stand in without brushing it with the top of his head.  
He shut the door quietly, so as not to disturb the other scientists still asleep. He carefully shed his Asgardian trousers and tunic, slipped off his black leather boots, and folded them before setting them aside.  
He grabbed the bar of soap that sat beside the sink and took it with him into the shower.  
He re-dressed quickly, and toweled his wet hair off until it was no longer dripping. He left his Asgardian clothes and boots in the bathroom, inside the small cabinet under the sink. He would have no further use for them. They only made him stick out.  
The morning sunshine spilled through the glass and gleamed off of every reflective surface, making the need for lights obsolete.  
Jane clattered around in the kitchen, while Loki remade the futon bed.   
“Thank you for the blanket. It was a comfort to wake up with.”  
Jane turned to him, with a mug of steaming coffee in each hand,  
“Of course. You felt ice cold when I checked on you. I couldn’t have you freezing to death in the desert. How would that look?”  
She grinned playfully, and stepped over to hand him the mug.  
It was very hot, and felt good against his still cold hands.  
He took a small sip, and relished the feel as it burned down his throat, momentarily warming him from the inside out.  
Jane sat perched on the very edge of the cushion, beside where he still stood.  
“Sit.”  
She patted the couch beside her, and he did.  
“The truth is Jane, that I will always be cold. I am adopted, and am the son of Laufey. King of the Frost Giants.”  
Jane’s eyes widened and she moved her cup away from her mouth, where she had been just about to take a sip. She remembered him saying the morning previous that they were his ancestors, but she hadn’t pressed the issue, curious though she had been. He had been upset enough.  
“I see. Well, it’s a good thing you chose to come to New Mexico. It gets to over 100 degrees here in the summer. You’re lucky you came by in the early spring.”  
Loki managed a small smile, and shrugged,  
“I can’t say I’m ungrateful I came here either.”  
They held each other’s gaze for a beat longer than necessary, before a cough interrupted the stare.  
“Hey guys. So we’re out of pop-tarts.”  
Darcy peered around the staircase at them. Seeing as it was a spiral staircase with no railing, she wasn’t exactly hiding well.  
“Jaaane. Did you hear me?”  
Jane’s head fell into her free hand.  
“Yes Darcy. I heard you. I guess it means we’ll just have to have breakfast out again.”  
Darcy raised her eyebrows,  
“Really? The second day in a row? Is this gonna be our new thing?”  
Jane glanced up at her,  
“No. And don’t tell Erik. I’ll pay for it. We’re running over budget enough as it is.”  
Darcy walked over to them quietly, not a difficult feat in slippers on the wooden floor. The only reason Loki had heard Jane was from his highly enhanced senses.  
“So we’re gonna leave him here?”  
Jane nodded, and Darcy giggled quietly,  
“Sounds epic! Like an adventure. Let’s go. I want pancakes today. With bacon.”  
Jane rolled her eyes, and Loki bit back a smile.  
“Okay fine, but we’re gonna walk. If we try to start the van we’ll wake him up for sure.”  
Loki stood and pulled Jane to her feet.  
She looked taken aback, and he pretended not to see the look she and Darcy exchanged.  
“Let’s go then.” He said, gently opening the front door, and ushering them outside.  
The morning air was cool in the shade, but once they moved into the sunshine it was pleasantly warm on their faces.


	8. Exploring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Re-writing this scene/ series of events was challenging and I know i messed with the timeline a bit...so I can only claim AU.

Darcy was halfway through her massive stack of pancakes; one of which she had managed to wrangle Loki into trying, when the door to the diner opened and a loud and boisterous group of men came in.  
They were very cheerful, and talking loudly about “This huge crater out by Lee’s place, nearly five miles wide!” how there was a sword or something buried in the ground that no one could pull out.  
Loki paused mid-chew and looked over at the group.  
“Hold still, this is gonna go on Facebook.”  
Loki glanced over and saw Darcy holding up some rectangular piece of metal near his face, and when she chirped,  
“Smile!”  
He couldn’t refuse.  
He was half scared she would electrocute him again.  
But when she lowered it and began touching the screen, he moved his attention back to the men.  
“I will be right back.” He told Jane, before finishing his mouthful and swallowing completely.  
He stepped right behind the loudest speaking man, and gripped his shoulder, not quite enough to hurt, but hard enough to get his attention.  
“Where is this crater?”  
The man looked taken aback, and shrugged,  
“About forty miles outside town, after Lee’s farm.”  
Loki nodded, and let the man go, before striding back to where Darcy and Jane sat, looking rather confused.  
The man called after him,  
“But you won’t be able to touch it. This morning when we went back to check on it, the place was swarming with government people in suits, and there was even a black helicopter. They got that place sealed up tighter than a-” his friend next to him nudged him in the ribs, and he stopped, looking around at the diner,  
“Well, it’s impossible to get to now.”  
Loki stopped dead and looked at Jane,  
“Nothing’s impossible for a god. Can you transport me there?”  
Jane glanced over at Darcy,  
“Can you go back to the office and distract Erik so I can borrow the van?”  
Darcy grimaced and shrugged,  
“I guess I can try. Lemme get something ‘to go’ to bring him. It’ll be like placating a hungry bear. It’s better to have honey.”  
Jane smiled,  
“You got it.”  
***  
After a frantic few moments when the van wouldn’t start, finally Loki and Jane were on their way to see the mysterious crater.  
Jane was positively giddy.  
“I’ve never done anything like this! Erik will be so cross.”  
Loki glanced over at her; she was perched so close to the steering wheel, since she was so small. She caught him staring and looked puzzled,  
“What?”  
Loki shrugged,  
“You just look so lovely when you smile.”  
Jane looked taken aback, and quickly looked back at the dirt road.  
“Thanks.”  
She had never heard a compliment like that, sincere, from such a handsome man. Usually it was something her date would say to butter her up. If she turned them down, they would find a way to take it back.  
She shivered. She didn’t miss the dating world.   
Loki looked at her curiously; he had caught the movement out of the corner of his eye,  
“Are you cold? Am I making it cold inside this vehicle?” he suddenly looked worried.  
Jane smiled quickly and shook her head,  
“I’m fine. Besides, look at me, I’ve got a coat and scarf, I’m fine. Just thinking too much.”  
Loki nodded understandingly.   
They remained in contented silence for the remainder of the drive, until arriving where the crater was.  
Jane gasped at the sight of so much activity.  
“What could be down there?”  
Loki frowned, his eyes narrowing,  
“I have a bit of an idea.”  
***  
Loki had not been prepared to do battle with any Midgardians, but it was nice to know they couldn’t match him in a fight without cheating.  
Eventually he was beaten when a man fired an arrow at him, not a fatal wound, but some sort of dart with muscle numbing abilities.  
He came to tied to a chair, and facing another man in a suit.  
He smiled slyly,  
“Nice to know you Mortals still enjoy war. When I see Sif next, I shall tell her.”  
The man looked puzzled, but shrugged it off.  
“Tell me something, how did you manage to make my men, trained soldiers, look like minimum wage mall cops? Where did you get your training?” at that the man began to list off a number of countries that Loki hadn’t the faintest idea about, so he simply shrugged in return, and kept his sly smile.  
“Fine. If you won’t talk, I’ll find out myself.”  
The man turned to leave and as the door slid shut, he was faced with a mirror.  
The door had almost disappeared into the wall.  
He struggled against his bonds, but he could still feel a tingling in his arms. He was not at full strength. Whatever they had injected him with, was still in his blood.  
He hoped Jane was alright. He had told her to stay in the van, but he had no idea if she would listen.


	9. Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Timeline is yes, all whack. Please forgive its...AU.

Jane, for her part, was trying not to freak out.  
She had seen everything. She had been perched on the edge of the crater, and watched carefully as Loki made his way down to the center and evaded most of the guards. She had even thought he would make it, until a man high up in a crane had shot him.  
She had managed to clap her hand to her mouth before screaming, but only just.  
She was paralyzed with fear as she saw two more men emerge from the large temporary structure the government had erected around the center of the crater.  
Loki was dragged inside, and there wasn’t a thing she could do.  
She pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialed Erik, too worried about Loki to worry about how angry Erik might be.  
“Hi. It’s Jane. Just calling cause, I might have done something you wouldn’t like. Point is, I need some help. I’m out by the crater. See if you can find Darcy and bring the RV out here. Thanks Bye.”  
***  
Erik arrived shortly, at least, as quickly as he possibly could. He had brought Darcy, whom he dropped off at the edge of the crater to help calm Jane down.  
Jane was currently huddling in the van still watching the various tents and structures, hoping to catch a glimpse of Loki.  
Once Erik had reached the bottom of the crater, and became surrounded by men in suits, Jane and Darcy both started to freak out.  
Until Erik whipped out some paperwork and the men started talking and consulting their electronic devices.   
Jane nudged Darcy in the ribs, as she had started to doze off.   
Darcy looked up and smiled lazily,  
“See, I knew he could do it.”  
Jane gasped as she watched Loki get into the RV with Erik, completely unmolested by any of the men in suits.  
When the RV reached the top of the crater, Erik waved his hand at them to start the van and follow him.  
Jane let Darcy drive, as she was on the edge of her seat.  
The RV pulled into the parking lot outside the lone bar, Liquid Fire.   
Jane practically leapt out of the van and rushed over to yank open the passenger door to the RV.  
Loki looked slightly paler and almost a little frightened, but when he saw it was her, his face relaxed.  
“Jane.”  
“Loki! What on earth happened? One minute you were on the edge of the tents, and the next you had been shot and taken away to god knows where! You scared me to death.”  
She finished indignantly with her hands coming up to rest on her hips.  
He slowly climbed out of the truck and stood right in front of her, towering over her. The little show of frustration only made her look like an angry kitten. Loki wasn’t sure why she reminded him so much of a feline, but he couldn’t say he was averse to the idea.   
He smiled down at her, and reached up to stroke her cheek, cautious lest she slap it away.  
“I’m fine. They did drug me with something, but I think it’s all gone from my system now. They didn’t hurt me. They just asked a lot of questions, all of which I answered, somewhat truthfully. Erik was brilliant. He managed to convince them I was your former lover. He was a talented scientist I understand.”  
Jane rolled her eyes and huffed in annoyance.  
“God. I was hoping you would never have to find out about that.”  
Loki chuckled quietly,  
“You should have checked over his items of clothing a little better before handing them over to me.”  
Jane’s eyes fell shut slowly, and her left hand rose to smack her forehead.  
“Of course! I’m so stupid sometimes.”  
Loki was fully prepared to debate that, when Erik swooped in and pulled them towards the bar,  
“Enough talk. It’s been a hell of a day and I for one need a drink.”  
Darcy coughed, in a not so subtle way from behind them,  
“Am I invited or what? I’m gonna be twenty four in like five months. I can drink too.”  
Erik shook his head.  
“You’ve got to be the designated driver. Take the RV back to the office and then-” he broke off, realizing they had two vehicles they needed to return home.  
Jane carefully extricated herself from Erik’s arm,  
“It’s alright Erik. I’ll take the van back. I don’t really think I’m in the mood for beer.”  
Loki couldn’t fight Erik’s determined expression, and he merely shrugged,  
“I wouldn’t mind a good pint of ale.”  
Jane smiled at Loki, waving him off,  
“Go on, have fun. But don’t get too hammered, I don’t want to have to drag you out of the van to bed.”  
Loki raised his eyebrows and bit his tongue. He could have easily alluded to her accidental innuendo, but the way Darcy was eyeing the two of them, he figured it would be wise to refrain from it.  
“Goodnight guys, have a beer for me.”  
Darcy gave them a mock salute and ran over to climb back into the van, leaving Jane to drive the RV.  
“Call me when you want to head back. I’m going to make some tea and stay up reading. We’ll take tomorrow off okay?” Jane looked pointedly at Erik, who nodded in agreement.  
“Will do.”


	10. Star Gazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The famous rooftop scene that I was rather excited to write. Along with the rest of the story of course *wink*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took liberties with this scene, and tried to keep the essence of it, the bonding between Jane and the Asgardian guest, in this case, Loki. I tried to research the spellings of everything, but please forgive any mistakes. Wikipedia is only as good as its contributors.

Only Loki’s past experiences of drinking with Thor and the Warriors Three kept him conscious. Erik for his part, held his own against the god. He ended up half carrying him into the van, while Jane tried to hide her knowing smile.  
Once Erik had been put to bed safely, Loki returned downstairs to see if there was still some hot water left for tea.  
“Tea bags are in the far right cupboard.”  
Jane’s soft voice piped up, from where she sat curled up in a blanket on the couch.  
The same blanket he had woken up beneath.  
Loki ran a hand through his hair, and stealthily tried to smell his own breath. It wasn’t terrible. But with some strong tea, it would be masked.  
“Do you want to go upstairs?” He asked her, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt. Why was this mortal woman suddenly making him feel like an adolescent about to join the guard?  
Jane lifted her gaze from the book she was reading, and bit her lip to keep from grinning,  
“Sure. I’ll go make a fire for us. You take your time.”  
Loki was slightly confused, before remembering the gravel that coated the roof. Surely that would protect against fire.  
***  
When he climbed up the stairs and emerged on the roof, he saw there was indeed a fire pit. He must have been in too much of a hurry last time to notice it.  
Jane had moved the lounge chairs closer to it, and set a blanket on each. The newer one was a dark blue plaid.  
She was wrapped up tightly in the red one, and beamed at him when he came into view.  
“Aren’t the stars beautiful? This is why I love being in a small town. There are hardly any lights to distract from the view.”  
Loki could see the wonder in her eyes, and the way her face lit up when looking into the sky. She was born to be a scientist, with such natural curiosity.  
He sat down, and carefully placed the blanket over his lap, though he didn’t truly need it. The night air was not bitingly cold, and the fire was very pleasant.  
He held the mug of steaming tea in his hands, and was able to pretend he felt normal and warm.  
He was able to deny the truth of his heritage, for just those few moments.  
Jane caught him staring at her over the fire, and she ducked her head and blushed.  
“So tell me, Loki, what’s your home like? Asgard, I mean.”  
Loki had felt a shiver of fear go up his spine for the split second he thought she meant for him to describe Jotunheim.  
Asgard, was painful enough to think about, but much less so.  
“It’s a city among the clouds. It has tall buildings, but none as grand as the palace where I grew up. Golden towers and the rainbow bridge that leads to the other worlds.”  
Jane listened with awe and complete concentration as he spoke.  
Eventually his mug ran dry, and he set it down below his chair, and gazed up at the sky which fascinated her so, wishing he could see his home in the great carpet of stars.  
“I’m glad you’re safe.”  
Jane’s voice startled him from his musings, and he looked back at her,  
“I am grateful for your kindness to me. I certainly have not always been deserving of it. Especially the first night I was here. I know I said some things I shouldn’t have. I was rude.”  
Jane shrugged,  
“I did hit you with a car, so I think that evens us out.”  
Loki winced at the memory,  
“Indeed. Those methods of transport are far more painful than on my world.”  
Jane snuck a glance back up at the sky,  
“Tell me, why did you call earth ‘Midgard?’”  
Loki smirked,  
“Do you have anything to write with?”  
Jane shrugged, and reached down under her chair, pulling out a small black notebook, one that never left her side. It was where she put all her ideas, and the research she knew wasn’t quite ready to be published. She turned to a blank page, and held it out to him.  
“My father explained it to me like this. Your world is one of the nine realms of the cosmos. They are linked to one another by the branches of Yggdrasil, the world’s tree.”  
Jane frowned, and looked thoughtful,  
“I think I remember that name from somewhere. Maybe from one of Erik’s books on Norse mythology.”  
Loki nodded,  
“To your ancestors, what we did was magical. To you now, with your strange technology, you call it science. I come from a place where they are one and the same.”  
Jane’s eyes widened as she watched him draw, and he began to label each planet that was part of a branch.  
“This is Alf-heim, here is Midgard, and where I grew up, Asgard. This is Jotunheim, my true home. You can see the tree anytime; you just need a powerful lens.”  
Jane looked taken aback,  
“You mean like the Hubble Telescope?”  
Loki shrugged,  
“Perhaps. I know not what that is.”  
Jane plucked the notebook from his hands, mentally noting how lovely they were, and how long his fingers were, like a pianists.  
“Here, look. These were taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. Are you telling me that this tree is there?”  
Loki squinted, the firelight was rather dim to be looking at such dark photos, but he could see the outline of the tree, marked by stars and smaller planets.  
“Yes. It’s always been there, right in front of you.”  
Jane let the notebook fall to the ground,  
“Wow. So all this time, we’ve not been alone in the universe. There really are advanced aliens out there. That look like us!” she smiled at him, and he just nodded along with her.  
He was the true Alien. Thor would have agreed with her.  
“This is so amazing. I wish I could go there.”  
Loki glanced over at her sharply. Surely she didn’t mean it. If by some miracle he could ever return home, he didn’t know if he could do it alone.  
“Perhaps someday you will.”  
Jane hummed to herself happily,  
“That would be wonderful. I could learn so much.”  
Her eyelids were beginning to droop, and when she leaned against his shoulder, he tried not to jump. The contact was welcome, but unexpected.  
He moved her gently so that she was lying down on the lounge chair, and he stood to carefully push their chairs together, so he could in effect lie down beside her. He refrained from touching her, not wishing to make her chilled.  
The last thing he saw before sleep claimed him was the distant planet of Jupiter winking at him in the darkness.


	11. Confiscation of Research

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was a scene that is kinda out of order, but I did my best to make it fit. I also thought it was clever of me to--well you'll see.

A soft giggling sound echoed throughout the hallways, and Loki could almost imagine the smile that graced Jane’s face for her to make that sound. He strode toward it, eager to see her. But as he rounded the corner of the hall, he stopped short. Thor was walking into the dining hall, his large arm around Jane’s shoulders. She wore a stunning purple and navy silk dress, and looked every inch like royalty. Something deep inside him twisted, and he felt as if acid was eating at his heart.  
She was with him?  
Of course she was.   
Every maiden he ever showed fondness to, Thor had to steal.   
Why had he thought she was any different?  
A loud clanging, like the smashing of a dish on the floor startled him. He moved to follow them into the dining hall and see what was causing the racket, but could no longer move. It was as if he was frozen. He looked down to see ice tendrils forming about his feet, entwining up his legs, and chilling him to the bone.  
He tried to call out for help, to Jane, but he could no longer make a sound. He couldn’t even move his lips. Before the ice completely obscured his vision he could have sworn he heard a scream.  
***  
Loud thumps and banging noises made their way up the staircase and Jane jerked awake.  
She could hear Erik shouting and Darcy screeching.  
Loki stirred beside her, and she turned to look at him,  
“What do you think is going on?”  
She asked in a hushed whisper, and he could only shake his head.  
He rubbed his face with his hand, perhaps around his eyes a little too roughly. That nightmare had seemed so real, it was practically a relief to wake up still on Midgard, as long as Jane was still on his side.  
Footsteps sounded below, and sounds of metal on metal could be heard. It sounded rather like someone was rearranging the office below.  
When two men in black suits emerged on the rooftop, he reached a hand down to slowly slide Jane’s notebook into his waistband under his shirt. He had the bad feeling they were there for her.  
“What’s the meaning of this?”  
Jane stood, indignant, and the men came forward, ushering her downstairs. They weren’t rough or rude about it, but very insistent.  
Jane almost ran down the stairs, filled with horror at the sight before her.  
Men in black suits were packing up all of her work boards and papers and the office tables were already bare.  
Darcy was whining about her laptop and how she had just only downloaded three new movies onto it, and a thousand songs onto her iPod.  
She tried to grab one of the men’s arms, but he shook her off.  
He pulled off his sunglasses and moved towards Jane, who seemed to be the calmest, at least for the moment.  
“I’m sorry ma’am, but we’re claiming all of your research as SHEILD property.”  
Jane gasped, still in shock they were just throwing her stuff around and it was disappearing before her eyes,  
“Is that supposed to mean something to me? You can’t do this! This is my life, years of work!”  
Erik suddenly appeared beside her and pulled her off to the side,  
“Jane. This is a lot more serious than you think. Let it go.”  
She frowned, and her eyes flashed with anger,  
“’Let it go?’ Just let it go? All this research? Your work too?”  
“We’re investigating a security threat. We need to appropriate all your records and atmospheric data.”  
“You mean steal.”  
Jane shot back at the man who seemed to be in charge of the entire operation.  
She recognized him from the tent camp set up in the center of the crater.  
“What does my work have to do with that asteroid?”  
The man looked over at her, and she could finally see the plastic name badge on his chest, it read ‘Agent Coulson.’  
“I’m afraid that’s classified. This should more than compensate you for your trouble.”  
He handed her a check, and she didn’t even spare a glance at the amount, which had a few more zeros after it than she had ever seen in her life.  
“I can’t just buy replacements at the store! Some of this equipment I made.”  
The man, Coulson, smiled at her, not mockingly,  
“Then I’m sure you could do it again.”  
Jane gaped at him,  
“And I’m sure I can sue you for violating my constitutional rights!”  
“Please Ms. Foster, we’re the good guys.”  
The man waved at his other agents, and they slammed the doors shut to the several black vehicles parked outside the building.  
Jane ran forward to grab the man’s arm,  
“So are we! I’m on the verge of understanding something extraordinary, and everything I know about it is in those cars, or—” She broke off, remembering her black notebook upstairs. She bit her lip, and the man reached out to shake her hand, though she was a bit too numb to acknowledge it,  
“Thank you for your cooperation.”  
***  
Throughout the entire debacle, Loki had remained in the back, silent, and observing. He didn’t want to blow his thin alibi as a fellow scientist, so he merely tried to look just as upset as the rest of the group. When Erik had moved to stop Jane from interfering, Loki had almost broken the man’s arm, but whatever he had told her had worked, somewhat.  
She still tried to reason with the men verbally, but to no avail.  
They all returned to the roof, watching the vehicles disappear into the dust, and Jane leaned against his shoulder again, this time in defeat, and not from exhaustion.  
“Well. I guess that’s that. They got it all.”  
Erik sighed,  
“Even the backups?”  
“They took our backups and the backups to our backups. They were very thorough.”  
Darcy didn’t even bother opening her mouth again about her computer; she knew that no real research had been on there.  
“I don’t know about you, but fighting made me hungry. Should we go get some donuts?” Erik nudged Darcy, who nodded wearily,  
“Sounds like a plan man. Jane, you better have strong coffee for me when I get back.’  
“You got it.” Jane replied back, half listening.  
When they had left, Loki leaned back, and pulled out the notebook from where he had been hiding it. He reached across and set it on Jane’s lap.  
She gasped and looked over at him,  
“I was wondering where this had gotten to! I was half scared that one of the guys who pulled us off here had found it. You’re a life saver. You have no idea what this means. Basically, it means I don’t have to start from scratch.” She traced the leather bindings, and smiled to herself. It felt cool to the touch from being next to his skin.   
Loki watched her, and the way she lit up when she spoke of her work, it made him feel as if he needed to have more of a purpose than just to return home and get his revenge.   
The anger and frustration from the previous night’s dream had almost faded. Replaced by a strange fondness for Jane. A woman he hardly knew, but had managed to turn his life upside down in less than a week. Even less time if they had been on Asgard.


	12. Visitors from Asgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does the title give away too much? Nah.

On Asgard:

Lady Sif walked purposefully towards the throne room, with her Warriors Three following closely behind her.  
She stepped through the doors and fell to her knees, clasping her right arm to her chest in respect,  
“My King, we must speak with you urgently.”  
A deep voice that she recognized, not as the king’s, but as Thor’s, laughed at her.  
“You can bring your urgent matter to me.”  
“Where is Odin?”  
Fandral piped up from behind Sif, who glanced at him sharply.  
“Father has fallen into the Odinsleep, mother fears he may never wake up.”  
Thor replied, sounding only half mournful.  
“We would speak with her.” Sif tried again, but Thor merely shook his head, and stood, the morning light reflecting off of his helmet and blond hair,  
“My friends, in this time of dire need, I have been named king, for the good of Asgard. Mother has refused to leave my father’s side, so whatever you need tell her, you may tell me.”  
Sif gulped, and then nodded,  
“We would ask that you end Loki’s banishment. We feel he has been punished enough.”  
Thor rolled his eyes and twirled his hammer idly,  
“You do? Well, my first command cannot be to undo my father’s last. The kingdom needs a sense of continuity, or they would suddenly be asking for all past sentences to be undone.”  
Fandral coughed slightly, and moved forward, until he was in front of Sif,  
“Your majesty, if you could find a way to reconsider,”  
Thor stood and brandished his hammer menacingly,  
“NO. We’re done. You may go.”  
Sif nodded, and stood, pulling on Fandral’s arm until he complied.  
“Thank you, your majesty.”  
Her words were laced with insincerity but she doubted Thor would pick up the tone.  
***  
Thor collapsed back on the throne, and pouted at his reflection on the hammer.  
“Why don’t they like me being in charge?” he mumbled to himself, and then the dark whisper, the smooth voice of Laufey, king of the Frost Giants, filled his ear.  
“They don’t respect you. You have to prove yourself to them. To all of your people.”  
Thor nodded thoughtfully,  
“What shall I do?”  
The dark voice chuckled,  
“You need to assert your authority. How could you best do that?”  
Thor frowned, and his head began to ache. It was difficult to think properly when he was being influenced by strong magic.  
“I could perform a feat of strength?”  
The dark voice tsked in chastisement,  
“No Thor. You must guarantee your kingship. You must kill Odin.”  
Normally, such a horrible suggestion would bring about Thor’s righteous anger, and the one who suggested it would be banished instantly. But since Thor’s mind was clouded, and he was not truly himself, and hadn’t been since that day in Jotunhiem, he nodded to himself.  
“That’s an interesting idea.” He muttered, and the dark voice agreed with him.  
He sat in the throne for a few moments longer, beginning to formulate a plan of attack, and the voice disappeared into the back of his mind again.  
***  
Lady Sif paced the black marble floors of the golden transport sphere, and the Warriors followed her every step with their tired eyes.  
“We must do something! Thor is not himself. There is something at work here. You all see it.”  
Fandral stopped mentally cataloguing all the various maidens he had yet to ask to the gardens of Asgard, and began paying attention to Sif.  
“I see what?”  
Sif rolled her eyes,  
“Nothing that doesn’t concern yourself obviously. Hogun, what do you think?”  
The serene Warrior looked directly into her eyes, and nodded,  
“I agree. Something is very wrong with Thor. Even before Loki’s banishment, he had always been fond of his brother, but now? He is acting cold, indifferent. Becoming king should have made him happier, and he should have agreed to bring Loki back in a heartbeat.”  
Volstagg, for once somber, found himself conceding, a frightening change had arisen in their old friend.  
Sif turned to Heimdall, who was watching them all, and simply listening.  
“We’re going to Midgard, to try and find Loki. Will you help us?”  
The gatekeeper spoke, and all fell silent to listen,  
“I am sworn to obey my king, and while he still lives and breathes, Odin is my king, not Thor.”  
Fandral looked anxious,  
“Is that a yes?”  
Sif grinned,  
“Oh I think so.”  
***  
Back on Midgard:

Darcy was mid-rant about her precious iPod, and Jane was seconds from screaming at her to be quiet, when a noise, someone tapping on the glass door, startled everyone.  
Jane looked over and saw four strangers, dressed slightly how Loki had been at first, outside, and did scream.  
Loki, who had been preparing to pour a fresh cup of coffee for himself and Erik, glanced around in shock, and nearly burned himself.   
“Sif! Jane, these are my friends, please let them in.”  
Jane, who looked rather stunned, stood up slowly and nodded, moving to unlock the door.  
The four smiled wide and mouthed something Loki couldn’t hear.  
Once Jane had slid the door open, Sif bounded forward,  
“Loki! We found you. We managed to land just beside a building, instead of on top of it.”  
Jane and Darcy eyed the group warily, and Sif seemed to notice her apprehension. She stepped close and stuck out her hand, an informal greeting to non royalty,  
“I am Lady Sif, and these are the Warriors three, Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing, and Volstagg the Valient.”  
Jane smiled weakly, and took each hand as it was offered; glad they didn’t end up crushing hers. The men all looked very fierce, except the blond one, and they towered over her, just like Loki. The lady Sif had beautiful black hair, which fell almost to her waist and was tied up with a golden clip. The woman’s face was stern but still worthy of being called ethereal.  
Loki cracked a grin at the introductions and then it was shaken from his face as Fandral swept forward and embraced him.  
“Whoa there. You might mess up your hair.” He said teasingly, but the blond warrior shrugged,  
“It doesn’t matter. We need you to return home. Thor’s gone nuts.”  
Sif rolled her eyes at him,  
“Nice. That’s not how I would have put it, exactly. But Loki, you have to know, is it possible for someone to be controlled or manipulated by magic from afar?”  
Loki’s handsome face became serious,  
“I have no idea. Depending on the strength behind the enchantment, it’s quite possible. Why do you ask?”  
Hogun moved forward, clapping a hand to Loki’s shoulder,  
“Thor has begun acting very strange. He wouldn’t let us see your father, or your mother. He’s claiming the throne, on grounds that Odin is not able to be king.”  
Loki’s face, already pale, drained completely of color. All thoughts of frustration and anger at his true heritage disappeared. No matter what, he could not forget who raised him.  
“What’s wrong with Father?”  
Sif gazed at him steadily,  
“Your father has fallen into the Odinsleep. According to Thor, he may never wake up. That’s why he’s claimed the throne.”  
Loki reached behind him, feeling for a chair.  
The closest thing Odinsleep could be compared to in Midgardian vernacular, was a coma.  
He felt Jane come up beside him, and he heard the scraping of chair legs on the floor.  
Fear coursed through him as he sat down, his head falling into his hands.   
“You must come home.”  
Sif insisted. The Warriors Three all murmured agreement in unison and Jane exchanged a look with Erik.  
Here they had more myths and legends standing before them in the flesh, how could they deny the truth of what Loki had told them?  
Loki shook his head,  
“I cannot. Father has banished me, and Thor would not allow it. Besides, what use am I? I am powerless without my magic, and my strength is like that of a mortal.”  
Sif frowned,  
“Surely you have reclaimed your scepter by now? Thor told us it was cast down with you.”  
Loki shook his head,  
“I know where it is, but I have not been able to obtain it. I doubt it would be as easy as picking it up. It’s heavily guarded.”  
Sif was going to get wrinkles if she kept her current expression for very much longer,  
“We shall go and bring it back! No one would dare stand in our way. We are as gods to the mortals.”  
She glanced aside at Jane, Darcy and Erik, who still looked wary.  
“We would never hurt them, unless it was absolutely necessary.” Though it was meant to be comforting, the statement did nothing of the sort.  
Loki looked up at Jane,  
“Do you think we could get in as scientists? You could try to ask the agents if they need any help, considering they are operating your equipment.”  
Jane shrugged, and then looked at Erik, who didn’t look completely opposed to the idea.  
“Okay, it’s worth a shot. But your friends can’t go with us, at least, not dressed like that.”  
Sif glanced around at herself and the Warriors,  
“What is wrong with our battle armor?”  
Darcy snorted,  
“Just that. None of us ‘mortals’ were battle armor for everyday clothing. That’s more of a Halloween, once a year type thing.”  
Loki bit back a smirk. The brunette was a sharp tongued mortal.  
Quick witted. If he wasn’t so daft, Thor would be an interesting match for her.


	13. If He Be Worthy

A frenzied and wild shopping trip at the local second hand shop later, and the Warriors three and Lady Sif resembled another group of ‘mortal’ friends. Loki ushered them into the back seats of the van, ignoring the protests of the small size of the vehicle all the while.  
Darcy elected to stay at the office, which worked out, considering the van barely held Jane and Erik, along with the Asgardians.  
The van ride was bumpy on the way over to the crater, but Loki managed to keep a running commentary on his last few days of banishment that interested even Volstagg. The talk about pancakes especially caught the large man’s attention.  
When they arrived at the crater, Jane only had to flash her credentials, and mention the one Agent’s name, Coulson, and they were waved in.  
The van came to a halt, and they all piled out, Jane and Erik leading the way.  
Agent Coulson didn’t look angry, nor did he look surprised at the sight of them. Perhaps he would have remarked at the additional members of the group, had not Jane instantly begun barraging him with questions and remarks, wondering how her tools were holding up.  
“Good of you to come Ms Foster. You may be able to help us.”  
Jane and Erik followed him, and the Asgardians remained behind, in the main tent.  
Behind a gauzy curtain, Loki could see the outline of his scepter handle. He pushed the curtain aside, and the gold gleamed in the light from the setting sun.  
It was beautiful.  
To be so close to it, yet unable to hold it caused his very soul to ache.  
“Go on. Get closer.” Sif urged him, gently nudging him.  
He was almost afraid. He had no wish to be shot again by a man who perched out of reach.  
The closer he got, the more he could hear it.  
An audible humming sound. As if it was calling to him.  
He reached out a hand, barely letting his finger graze the tip of the handle, and he drew back.  
It was warm. As if the sunlight had been shining directly on it all day long.  
He looked up, and saw that it was no longer covered. Perhaps when the rain stopped they felt there was no need to shield it.  
Ironic.  
***  
Jane was leaning over Erik’s shoulder, observing a black suited man, under the Agent’s direction, working on the computer that used to be hers.  
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Loki.  
He was down a couple stories, in the very center of the crater, slowly walking around the object embedded in the ground.  
It looked almost like a sword, but was dull on the end.  
The handle to a sword?  
No. That was a different myth.  
While she watched, he moved close to it, and reached out to touch it, before moving back suddenly. As if it had burned him.  
She stepped away from Erik and turned to watch Loki.  
He finally seemed to decide something, and moved back towards the object, stretched out both hands, and took a firm hold on the end of it, pulling hard.  
It didn’t take long, before the golden object came free of the dirt.  
Jane gasped as Loki pulled it upright, and the end seemed to glow a bright blue.  
It had three prongs at the end, and if she didn’t know better, she would say he appeared to draw a sort of energy from it.  
“Jane? What is it?” Erik’s voice drew her back, as if from a dream.  
She ignored him, and turned to the Agent,  
“What is that?” she gestured down to where Loki stood, still grasping the spear-like golden object.  
Coulson turned to look, and his face went white.  
“That is one of the most radioactive objects to ever crash onto earth.”  
***  
Loki felt as if every cell in his body had come back to life.  
He could feel the magic singing through his veins, and the scepter did indeed hum as it was in his hands.  
Sif and the Warriors Three stood back, and simply watched as Loki’s outfit changed, from the mortal clothing he had been wearing, back to his battle armor. Green and gold’s mixed with black leather covered his body, and his feet were clad in his leather boots.  
He looked over at them, and smiled tightly,  
“Friends, it’s time to return home. I need to have words with my brother.”  
Sif was too shocked to speak, and she merely nodded. With a wave of his hand, Loki transformed Sif and the Warriors three back into their Asgardian armor. No use hiding anymore what they were.  
“Wait!”  
A voice called out, and Loki turned from where he was, preparing to exit the tent.  
It was Jane.  
He smiled warmly at her, and she stopped short. She had never seen him in his full armor.  
“Is this what you normally look like?” she asked in a hushed voice, and he nodded. Her eyebrows rose, and her face looked mischievous,  
“It’s a good look.”  
Loki’s smile turned into a smirk,  
“I’m glad you approve.”  
“So, where are you going all dressed up?”  
“I must return to Asgard. I promise I will return here, make no mistake.”  
Jane couldn’t help feeling a little hurt, and it must have showed, because Loki stepped closer, and reached down to pull her hand to his lips, ghosting them over her skin,  
“I will return to you, Jane Foster.”  
Jane’s brown eyes widened, and she blinked twice, there was no way on earth she was letting him leave without a proper kiss goodbye.  
When he began to pull away, and his gaze was locked with hers, those emerald eyes seemed to be saying he wished he didn’t have to leave. She didn’t mind that, she pulled his hand close and past her, and reached up with her free hand to stroke his cheek, and stood on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his.  
Loki was surprised; he wasn’t used to women being this forward. He would have been content with a kiss on the cheek, but Jane, she was different. She let her emotions show on her face, and chose to act on them.  
He couldn’t say he disliked it.  
He moved his hands and put both arms around her, lifting her off her feet and intensifying the kiss. She moved her hand to grip the back of his head, and tugged lightly on the ends of his dark hair.  
It was only when Sif coughed loudly that they pulled apart.  
“Time to go.”  
“I know.”  
Jane smiled sadly and stepped back, feeling the chill of the night air where Loki’s arms had been holding her.  
“Go on. I’ll be here when you get back.”  
Loki nodded,  
“Farewell Jane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an interesting time writing this chapter. Trying to see how often i could say spear or scepter. No, wait. I was trying NOT to use those words too much, but alas, it happened. Thanks for reading!


	14. Returning Home

Back on Asgard:

 

The roar of the Bifrost was enough to startle Thor from his assassination plans. He sat upright in the throne, before rising to stride over to the balcony, and as he saw the flash of the Bifrost closing, he growled aloud.  
“Loki.” He could sense his brother’s presence. It used to be a cool trick when they were children, to help them try to beat each other when playing Hide and Seek, but now, it was seen as a nuisance.  
He began walking towards the treasure room, he knew what to do.  
*  
“Hurry, we must move quickly, who knows what state your father is in.” Sif motioned and the Warriors moved to follow her.  
Loki nodded to the gatekeeper, who looked rather relieved to have him home.  
“Thank you Heimdall.”  
“Yes my lord.”  
A scream from Sif outside the chamber alarmed Loki, and he ran outside to see a large metal creature standing on the rainbow bridge, blocking the Warriors path.  
It was the Destroyer.  
Odin had created it to guard the Treasure room, but it seemed Thor had seen a better use for it.  
“We must work together!” Loki called the Warriors, and Sif nodded, wiping the blood from her lip. The Destroyer had gotten a good swing in before she had been ready.  
After a lengthy fight, the Destroyer was lying in heaps on the rainbow bridge, smoking slightly from where Loki had stabbed it with his scepter.  
When they arrived at the palace, Loki advised the Warriors to check the throne room, as he wished to go find his father.  
He arrived to see Thor kneeling beside their father, seeming to be struggling against something. Odin lay in his bed, covered in a golden mist.  
“Brother! Stop.”  
Thor stood quickly, and looked shocked to see him.  
“You defeated the Destroyer? That makes me very angry.”  
Loki rolled his eyes,  
“Brother, I don’t have time for your emotional outbursts. Now, move away from father. Let us speak.”  
“No! The time for speaking is over. I am the rightful king. No one will stop me.”  
Loki frowned, and then his eyes widened as he realize what Thor planned to do.  
He raised his hammer, and moved to bring it down over Odin’s head.  
Loki aimed his scepter at his brother’s chest, at the center of his armor, so he would not be harmed, only stopped, and fired.  
Thor was thrown across the room, and growled angrily as he began to climb up off the floor.  
Loki moved to stand between him and Odin, who somehow was still lying asleep under the golden mist.  
“Stop and think about what you’re doing.”  
Thor shook his head,  
“No! I can’t think. It hurts too much.”  
Loki frowned, momentarily distracted, and almost missed Thor swinging at him with his hammer.  
The blow knocked his backwards, and he landed on the other side of Odin’s bed.  
Thor moved to strike him again, and Loki only raised his scepter in time to block him.  
Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, and they were both stopped when a scream arose from the doorway.  
They turned to see Frigga, staring in horror as her two sons fought.  
“What is going on? Loki? When did you arrive?”  
“Mother, let me explain,--” Loki began, but Thor moved to hit him again, and he stopped, pausing to stop the hammer mid-swing.  
“ENOUGH!” A voice roared, and they all turned to see Odin, rising from his slumber, looking stronger than ever, and more alert than before Loki had been banished.  
“Father, please.”  
Loki began again, and was silenced by a glare from Odin.  
He turned to see Thor, who had fallen to his knees, fighting off an invisible enemy again.  
“What’s the meaning of this?”  
Loki shrugged, and stepped closer to Thor, who growled in frustration, and gripped his head with both hands.  
“Make it stop! The pain is unbearable.”  
“What’s the matter?” Frigga looked concerned, and dropped to her knees beside Thor, trying to comfort him.  
Loki closed his eyes, and it was as if he was looking at the room through a different lens.  
A dark cloud, resembling smoke was around Thor, and Frigga and Odin were emitting the opposite, a golden hue.  
Looking down at himself, he was an echo of the same dark smoke surrounding Thor.  
“Father, Thor is being controlled by someone. I have an idea who it is.”  
“Good guess.” The dark voice Thor had come to know over the past few days had spoken from behind them, and Loki turned to see Laufey himself, King of the Frost Giants, standing in the hallway.  
He glanced over at Thor, and with a wave of his hand, Loki could almost see the cloud dissipate from his brother.  
Thor groaned in pain, and collapsed to the floor, completely exhausted.  
Odin stood tall, and glared at the giant,  
“What have you done to my son?”  
Loki winced at the phrase, and tried to bite his tongue.  
Laufey grinned widely, and didn’t reply, he merely flicked a hand, causing a blue blade of ice to appear in his hand, and he threw it at Frigga, whom Odin leapt in front of.  
Odin was not wearing his battle armor, but he was not without power, and he just barely missed the blade.  
Loki was on him in an instant, showering him with blows and strikes of magic.  
The Frost Giant was forced out of the hallway and towards the throne room.  
Loki shouted to the Warriors and Sif, and they immediately began to battle with the giant.  
He was not alone. He had brought nearly a dozen giants with him, and they swarmed on the Warriors from outside the palace.  
Loki had no thought in his mind but for revenge, and to make Laufey pay, no matter whether he was his son or not.


	15. Battle at the Bridge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki confronts his true father.

When the fight reached the Rainbow Bridge, Loki began to weaken, and become weary. He made use of his illusions, and successfully maneuvered the remaining Giants to fall over the sides of the bridge chasing ghosts.  
Laufey had followed him however, and left the Warriors three and Sif behind, wounded, but not dead.  
“Would you fight your own father?” the Frost Giant called to him, mockingly.  
Loki sneered,  
“You almost made Thor kill his father, what makes you think I need persuading to kill mine?”  
Laufey chuckled darkly,  
“Perhaps I was wrong about you. You could make a decent ally. Will you join me? Return home to Jotunhiem and rule beside me as Prince of the Frost Giants?”  
Loki shook his head, and ducked an ice blade that came inches from slicing his cheek.  
“Never. My home is here. I never would have left if it hadn’t been for you. You manipulated me! By using Thor, you made me betray my own family. Then you tried to cause my family to become even smaller! How dare you break the treaty my father made with you, when he could have easily killed your entire race with his bare hands. Thor could also do the same, but I will be glad to do it myself.”  
Laufey’s face lost its mirth,  
“Oh I think not. Your time as a challenge to me is over.” With that, the giant reached over, deflecting the magic bolts Loki shot at him, and grabbed the scepter right from his hands.  
At the giants touch, Loki’s skin began to turn blue, just as it had on Jotunhiem.  
“What are you doing?” he gasped, as he felt himself grow impossibly cold. He fell to his knees on the rainbow bridge, unable to fight the numbness as it spread through his muscles.  
“I think it’s time to go home. But first, let’s get rid of that little world you were banished to. Makes sense. You ought to hate it.”  
Loki’s eyes widened as he caught sight of Laufey walking past Heimdall, who was trapped inside a block of ice, arms and sword extended mid-swing.  
Laufey placed Loki’s scepter into the sheath inside the chamber, and the Bifrost hummed to life. Lightening forks of electricity nearly blinded Loki, as he kneeled, frozen, unable to stop the giant.  
“Jane.” He whispered, and watched as the Bifrost lit the night sky up, directed towards Midgard.  
“No. please. I’ll do anything. I’ll go with you. Quietly. I won’t try to fight.”  
He begged the Frost giant, who merely shrugged,  
“I know you won’t. You can’t. Look at you. The rightful place to be, before your king.”  
***  
Thor grunted with pain as he came back to consciousness. His head ached as if he’d been thrown by a Bilgesnipe.  
“Thor? Are you alright?” the warm voice of his mother filled his ears, and he dared to open an eye, finding her looking concerned as she stroked his cheek.  
“Yes. I think so. Where’s father? And Loki?”  
Frigga tsked softly,  
“Your father has gone to the Treasure room, to retrieve the casket of Ancient winters. It is the only way to defeat Laufey. He also believes that was partly why he was here, and using you to kill your father.”  
Thor sat up quickly,  
“Then I must go, and find him. Loki could be in terrible danger if he tries to fight Laufey alone. Where are Sif, and the Warriors three?”  
Frigga looked somber,  
“They will not be able to help you, they have all been taken to the healing room, as they helped drive Laufey out of the palace, and were wounded gravely for their efforts.”  
Thor growled, and flexed his hand, Mjölnir flying from the ground to fit snugly into his palm.  
“I shall go and see that he is taken care of. The monster spent so much time in my brain, it’s time I give him a headache.”  
***  
“Forgive me Jane.” Loki mumbled, as he fell onto the rainbow bridge, unable to hold himself upright any longer.  
Just before his eyelids closed, he could have sworn he heard the rumble of thunder in the distance.

 

“NOOO!” Thor’s voice boomed, and Loki jerked back awake, just in time to see Thor flying towards the Frost Giant, his red cape blowing in the wind, Mulnjor extended, and he heard the satisfying thud as it made contact with Laufey’s chest.  
“You shall not harm my brother!” Thor roared as he rained blow after blow upon the Giant, who barely held his own against the furious Asgardian.  
Eventually Thor beat the Giant to his knees, and with a final blow, knocked him down, until his was lying face first, only a few feet away from Loki.  
Thor placed his hammer on the Giants chest, and grinned triumphantly as it held him.  
Thor walked over, and extended his hand down to Loki.  
The dark haired Asgardian smiled weakly, and gratefully took it. When he reached his feet, he began moving towards the Bifrost chamber, intent on shutting it down.  
What he saw was horrific.  
Ice covered the scepter and sheath, and it was unbreakable.  
“The Bifrost will build until it tears Midgard apart! Nothing can stop it.” Laufey said with a sneer, even from his prone position on the rainbow bridge.  
Loki gripped Thor’s arm painfully,  
“No, you cannot allow this to happen. Do something Thor!”  
Thor looked pained. If he took his hammer back, Laufey would be free. If he didn’t stop the Bifrost, Midgard would be destroyed.  
“HUARGH!” a voice shouted, and the brothers turned to see Odin, wielding the casket of Ancient Winters, aimed directly at Laufey, as a blue haze surrounded him, the last thing he saw was Loki, staring at him with sadness and disappointment, before exploding into a cloud of snow flurries.  
“Hurry father, we must do something!”  
Thor called, and retrieved his hammer, beginning to rain blows upon the bridge.  
“Move!” Odin roared to Loki, and they began running as the final blow caused the Rainbow bridge to fracture, and with a loud crack, it exploded, causing the Bifrost to falter, and then shut down completely, falling over the edge into space.  
“Loki!” Thor called out, and he managed to grasp Loki’s hand, as he hung off the edge of the shattered Rainbow Bridge.  
Odin moved to pull Thor back over, when the end of the bridge began to crumble.  
“No!”  
Thor could feel himself falling and had nothing to hold onto, until he felt a hand on the one that had been scrabbling about for anything to grip.  
Odin still had a firm hold on the bridge, and on Thor, who barely clung to Loki’s arm.  
“I’m sorry Father, this was entirely my fault.”  
Loki blinked back tears, as he felt his grip weaken.  
Odin’s one good eye met his, and shook his head,  
“No Loki.”  
Thor could see what Loki would do, and a split second before he could stop him, he saw the pain in his brother’s eyes,  
“LOKI! NO!”  
Loki closed his eyes, and let go.  
He fell into the dark abyss, and Thor lost sight of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to change this from ending the way it did, but it just felt right to be true to the original, at least in one way.


	16. Location:Unknown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Semi epilogue...

Every inch of his body hurt, and he could have sworn he tasted blood. He was too weak to use magic to heal, so he simply laid there. The surface beneath him felt rough, like it was coarse sand. He moved his hand around and deduced he must be near a canyon of some sort. Or perhaps simply a very strange beach. When he dared crack open an eyelid, he saw only blackness. The ground he was lying on was black rock, and the few small bits he had felt, were only fragments of the entire ground. What world was he on?  
It couldn’t be Midgard. It was too cold. He hadn’t noticed it at first, being cold natured. But it was freezing. There was no sunlight. Only moonlight. Glancing upwards, he only saw inky darkness, and three small circles of silver.  
Definitely not Midgard. He could only think of one place that had three moons and was so cold, yet not Jotunhiem.  
He was on one of the distant planets that orbited Midgard’s star.  
When he felt a sharp spear at his side, he groaned. He turned to find a creature glaring at him, or at least as close to a glare as could be recognized on an alien face.  
“Well, I guess this isn’t Alf-hiem.” He muttered with as much sarcasm as he could muster.  
The alien only growled gibberish at him, and he raised his hands, the universal sign for compliance.  
“Very well. You don’t understand me. Well, take me to your leader.”

**Author's Note:**

> http://vannehiddlebatched.tumblr.com/post/35236204320/au-loki-is-banished-to-earth-instead-of-thor
> 
> You will notice I made Loki less of a little Bitch and more of a woobie. Forgive me. But i just....feels made me do it.


End file.
